Dunajec Gorge
Dunajec Gorge
4.5
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4.5
26 reviews
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14
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8
Average
2
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1
Terrible
1
Dinshaw A
Karachi, Pakistan346 contributions
July 2014 • Family
My family and I visited Dunajec Gorge on July 2, 2014. It was cool (to cold) at times but the scenery was breathtaking. Nature in it's absolute rawness. We sat in wooden rafts (more like wooden pontoons) and there were two raftsmen. Unfortunately they did not speak English; fortunately, we had some English speaking Polish people with us who intermittently translated for us. The rafts take upto 15 persons (max) - 5 persons in a row, with 3 rows of wooden benches. Maybe because it was cold we found the rafting a little long- maybe if it was sunny we wouldn't have thought it so. However, in spite of the cold, it was a great experience. It was a leisurly experience, with small pockets of turbulent water- but not the white water rafting type of turbulence, so don't worry, the raft won't overturn. Poland is on the left side of the river and Slovakia on the right bank.
We started from Zakopane at 10am; picked up the rafts/pontoon from Sromowce Nizne (I think); got dropped off at Szczawnica Przystan; had lunch there; and were back in Zakopane by 3:45pm. Not too bad timing wise.
TIPS-
a) Take along a small cushion. After 2 hours, you may be uncomfortable, as we were! (especially if you are bony!)
b) Take along water & maybe gum or mints
c) Take along umbrellas (in case rain is on the forecast) and you've started the rafting
d) take along a warm jacket (in case it is cold or forecasted to be so- as it was today)
e) Organise this through a tour company (as we did); OR better to got directly to the site- http://www.discoverzakopane.com/rafting.html - and book through them. They will take you on the tour of other sights (if you have the time) on the way to (or back from) the Rafting. Things to see are a castle & a dam (both which we didn't see).
f) It may be better to try to visit in mid or end July when the weather is better. If it rains, the rafting will be cancelled.
We started from Zakopane at 10am; picked up the rafts/pontoon from Sromowce Nizne (I think); got dropped off at Szczawnica Przystan; had lunch there; and were back in Zakopane by 3:45pm. Not too bad timing wise.
TIPS-
a) Take along a small cushion. After 2 hours, you may be uncomfortable, as we were! (especially if you are bony!)
b) Take along water & maybe gum or mints
c) Take along umbrellas (in case rain is on the forecast) and you've started the rafting
d) take along a warm jacket (in case it is cold or forecasted to be so- as it was today)
e) Organise this through a tour company (as we did); OR better to got directly to the site- http://www.discoverzakopane.com/rafting.html - and book through them. They will take you on the tour of other sights (if you have the time) on the way to (or back from) the Rafting. Things to see are a castle & a dam (both which we didn't see).
f) It may be better to try to visit in mid or end July when the weather is better. If it rains, the rafting will be cancelled.
Written 2 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tzd60820
Vancouver, WA350 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
The rafting trip though the Dunajec Gorge is the biggest attraction in the whole region. Most of the people are buying the whole tour from their hotels. The minibus would pick them up and they don't need to worry about anything else. There are a few helpful facts for the individuals who traveled on their own:
Actually, there are two main rafting trips. On Polish side the trip starts from Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty and goes to Szczawnica ~ approx. length 18 km, time 2.5 hrs(+/-), price 49 PLN. The cheaper and much shorter is Slovak’s trip. It starts from Cerveny Klastor and ends before Szczawnica ~ approx. length 12km, time less than 2 hrs.
The big boards "Przełom Dunajca" will lead travelers to the starting destinations, with big parking lots. Tickets are available at the marina boarding station - they have listed your raft number. It is all well organized, the loud announcement informs what rafts # are ready.
There is additional fee for a minibus return trip to the starting parking and the tickets can be bought together with the rafting tickets, or from the driver at the destination.
Finally, only on the Polish side there is a second leg – 5 km. trip extension from Szczawnica to Krościenko - need to decide and pay at the beginning.
The traditional way was to float the river on the wooden timber-beams tied together, with the two "góral" bargee-guides steering with the long sticks. Nowadays, the wooden beams were transformed into long and narrow wooden "canoes" tied together - the structure easy to disassemble, load onto trucks, transport upstream and assemble again. It is all very efficient because on an average summer weekend you may have five thousand people taking the trip. One raft is 12 - 15 people and two guides.
They float from the morning to the evening seven days a week, from April to October ~ weather permitting.
Actually, there are two main rafting trips. On Polish side the trip starts from Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty and goes to Szczawnica ~ approx. length 18 km, time 2.5 hrs(+/-), price 49 PLN. The cheaper and much shorter is Slovak’s trip. It starts from Cerveny Klastor and ends before Szczawnica ~ approx. length 12km, time less than 2 hrs.
The big boards "Przełom Dunajca" will lead travelers to the starting destinations, with big parking lots. Tickets are available at the marina boarding station - they have listed your raft number. It is all well organized, the loud announcement informs what rafts # are ready.
There is additional fee for a minibus return trip to the starting parking and the tickets can be bought together with the rafting tickets, or from the driver at the destination.
Finally, only on the Polish side there is a second leg – 5 km. trip extension from Szczawnica to Krościenko - need to decide and pay at the beginning.
The traditional way was to float the river on the wooden timber-beams tied together, with the two "góral" bargee-guides steering with the long sticks. Nowadays, the wooden beams were transformed into long and narrow wooden "canoes" tied together - the structure easy to disassemble, load onto trucks, transport upstream and assemble again. It is all very efficient because on an average summer weekend you may have five thousand people taking the trip. One raft is 12 - 15 people and two guides.
They float from the morning to the evening seven days a week, from April to October ~ weather permitting.
Written 7 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brackmeg
Minehead, UK63 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
Take a coat, even if it is boiling hot ,because the seats on the raft are just wooden benches,and you can use a coat or sweater to sit on. I booked from Zakopane and was picked up by Minibus which took us to a major highway where we changed onto a very modern supercoach from Krakow. The tour takes you to Niedzica Castle, it is an interesting place but you only get 1 hour to go round the Castle and if you want to go onto the dam it gets a bit tight for time.
Then it is onto the Pieniny National Park, created in 1932, it was the first one in Poland and the first International protected area in Europe. The party is then divided into groups of 12 for the rafts. I was with a Local so translation was not a problem, but I did hear the tour boss ask if anyone wanted an English speaking crew.
The trip dowN the river can take a while so make use of the toilets there. The rafts are made up of four pontoons lashed together, sounds worse that it actually is. I was trying to sit in the front row to get uninterrupted photos. Fortunately I had to sit in the middle because the guy that got the front row was used as a stooge for the crews humour, and had to help with the bailing out.
It is a great way to spend time going down the Dunajec River and Gorge floating along with Poland on one side and Slovakia on the other.
the coach meets you at the end of the raft cruise and it is off to Debno near Nowy Targ and the lovely larchwood Church. After this excursion it's back to Zakopane, very good trip!!
Then it is onto the Pieniny National Park, created in 1932, it was the first one in Poland and the first International protected area in Europe. The party is then divided into groups of 12 for the rafts. I was with a Local so translation was not a problem, but I did hear the tour boss ask if anyone wanted an English speaking crew.
The trip dowN the river can take a while so make use of the toilets there. The rafts are made up of four pontoons lashed together, sounds worse that it actually is. I was trying to sit in the front row to get uninterrupted photos. Fortunately I had to sit in the middle because the guy that got the front row was used as a stooge for the crews humour, and had to help with the bailing out.
It is a great way to spend time going down the Dunajec River and Gorge floating along with Poland on one side and Slovakia on the other.
the coach meets you at the end of the raft cruise and it is off to Debno near Nowy Targ and the lovely larchwood Church. After this excursion it's back to Zakopane, very good trip!!
Written 27 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin S
Carlow, Ireland53 contributions
Apr 2011
We took the Dunajec river rafting trip through the gorge. This involved sitting on a wooden raft with our tour group which consisted of about 10 people. We had two guides. The scenery was beautiful. Unfortunately neither of the guides spoke english so we were at a loss as to what they were saying. This was a huge pity!
From reading about the trip, we were under the impression that there were many architectural sightsto see. We didn't see any. The rafting took about 2.5 hours, not including travel time from and returning to Krakow. We found this quite long, and a little boring.
The trip ended up costing about 200 euro ( for 2 people) departing from Krakow. Very costly for what we got out of it. If possible, I would recommend renting a car and getting there yourself. You would save hugely on the cost of an organised tour and you would also have the benefit of stopping off at some of the amazing sights on the way, or even detouring to Zakopane and getting closer to the Tatras.
From reading about the trip, we were under the impression that there were many architectural sightsto see. We didn't see any. The rafting took about 2.5 hours, not including travel time from and returning to Krakow. We found this quite long, and a little boring.
The trip ended up costing about 200 euro ( for 2 people) departing from Krakow. Very costly for what we got out of it. If possible, I would recommend renting a car and getting there yourself. You would save hugely on the cost of an organised tour and you would also have the benefit of stopping off at some of the amazing sights on the way, or even detouring to Zakopane and getting closer to the Tatras.
Written 24 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Damdoom81
Dubai, United Arab Emirates570 contributions
Sept 2011 • Friends
I took this long rafting trip with my Polish friend & her sister .. It was end of June, yet it was damn cold & it rained few times! Better to bring your rain coat or you can buy one there .. The tour guides don't speak English! So my friends were doing the translation for me :) .. It takes approximately 2 hours to reach your destination, but every minute of it is worth the breathtaking scenery!
Written 27 August 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelina21
New Jersey19 contributions
Sept 2016 • Solo
Such a great day trip on the river. The views are amazing and breath taking. There's a longer route and shorter one that you can take. Shorter one lasts about 2 hours. Def worth it and recommend it!
Written 21 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Piyush J
Warsaw, Poland16 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
It's nearly two hour rafting on dunajec between Pieniny mountains. View is breathtaking. Better book your tickets online as in summer queue for ticket is more than 2,5 hours. Recommended.
Written 20 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter K
Griffith, Australia467 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
Not only can you raft down the Dunajec Gorge through the most beautiful scenery imaginable, but you can hire a pushbike and ride the 12-15kms back to Cerveny Klastor along the bike trail which runs beside the gorge on the Slovakian side. Both activities allow you to experience the gorgeous beauty of the national park.
Written 8 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
icsinclair
Solihull, UK36 contributions
June 2012 • Friends
When on a ptg rail and culture tour of Slovakia arranged by Panorama Tours in Slovakia, our party had the enjoyable experience of "gently gliding down the stream" of the River Dunajec through the 6 mile gorge from Cerveny Klastor (the red monastery) to near Lesnica. The gorge divides Poland & Slovakia & so you see two countries at the same time !
About 9 people were on each raft which is composed of two wooden canoes joined together and propelled by two men, one at the front & one at the back, who use long poles which are levered on the river bed to give propulsion. The "poles-men" act like punters on the River Cam in Cambridge., but instead of wearing boaters, they have most attractive blue felt waistcoats embroidered with mountain flowers. They are very skilful & so you can just "sit back & enjoy" the magnificent gorge with its mighty limestone walls which rise to a height of some 1,600 feet above the water. Before you go on the river, visit the ancient "Red monastery" (now a well preserved & presented museum), and finish you boat trip with a ride in a horse and carriage in the Pieniny National Park, the first National Park which is in two countries, Slovakia & Poland
About 9 people were on each raft which is composed of two wooden canoes joined together and propelled by two men, one at the front & one at the back, who use long poles which are levered on the river bed to give propulsion. The "poles-men" act like punters on the River Cam in Cambridge., but instead of wearing boaters, they have most attractive blue felt waistcoats embroidered with mountain flowers. They are very skilful & so you can just "sit back & enjoy" the magnificent gorge with its mighty limestone walls which rise to a height of some 1,600 feet above the water. Before you go on the river, visit the ancient "Red monastery" (now a well preserved & presented museum), and finish you boat trip with a ride in a horse and carriage in the Pieniny National Park, the first National Park which is in two countries, Slovakia & Poland
Written 16 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra L
6 contributions
Aug 2019
The raft is gentle to the point it is hardly moving at some points. The two guides do not speak English although they certainly understood it. It was a long 2 and a half hours listening to the guide chatting and joking continuously in Polish to the point it was difficult to enjoy the scenery. The most wildlife we saw were ducks. It is much colder than Krakow so a coat is recommended. I found the Tatra mountains had much more breathtaking views.
Written 24 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am going to stay in Krakow how I can go there please by taxi? And how much will cost me the trip? Thanks
Written 15 October 2018
Rycerze, smoki, królewny
With taxi it will cost you insane amount of the money, it's over 100km from Kraków.
Also i'm quite sure - there is direct connetion, betwen for example Kraków and Szczawnica.
Written 25 December 2018
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